The Railway Board is yet to decide whether loco pilots should be considered fit for duty when laboratory tests detect very low levels of alcohol in their blood, even though they may not have consumed alcohol. The issue remains under review despite concerns raised by railway officials and a Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) report following the fatal 2025 Bilaspur train collision in Chhattisgarh, PTI reported. Under the existing Indian Railway Medical Manual (IRMM), railway staff working on trains must have zero blood alcohol levels. However, railway officials have raised concerns about laboratories' ability to accurately measure very low alcohol concentrations, prompting calls for the rules to be reviewed.
A senior railway official told PTI that the Railway Board should take a decision on the matter at the earliest, pointing out that it has remained unresolved for nearly a year.
